A Glimpse of Dream
by WildFlower084
Summary: Three words will finally let Nikita catch a glimpse of the dream she has dared to dream for so long. Sequel to Ticking.
1. Chapter 1: The Message

**A/N: This is the sequel to Ticking. Hope you like it!**

* * *

Summer was just around the corner but if Nikita hadn't been spending most of her time watching surveillance tapes from various missions, she wouldn't have known what season it was. Confined to Section One since the last time she had been out, putting her children and Maria in danger, she hadn't seen the sun for months. She craved its heat, its light on her skin, the happiness it generally brought along. Most of all, she missed her children, whom she hadn't seen or spoken to since the attack, three months earlier. If it weren't for Maria's highly-secured e-mails, she wouldn't have known what her children were up to. It was by those messages that Nikita had learned that their first year of school was quickly coming to an end, that their fifth birthday party had been a blast and that they asked several times a day when they would be able to see their mother. Maria assured her, in every e-mail, that they were well, that the new security around their home was protecting them very well and that she didn't have to worry. But Nikita did worry. After all, she was a mother, a mother of two wonderful twins, so smart and so full of life.

She had never thought, in a million years, that this was how she would be raising her children. Apart, with the help of a woman who played surrogate mother to them. Then again, it was how things worked in Section One. There was absolutely no place for children in an anti-terrorism secret organization. As Operations, she was well aware of that but, unlike her predecessor, she didn't have the heart to cancel them.

The sliding doors opened and Nikita stepped inside what had once been Madeline's office, which now served as her own. Her eyes still filled with sleep, she made her way to the desk, half-asleep. She yawned widely as she sat down and wiped her face with her hands.

Peeking through her fingers, she caught a glimpse of a flashing light at the bottom of the screen. Frowning, she double-clicked on the flashing icon and waited. The screen turned blank for a second, making her wonder if she had just downloaded a virus into her own computer. Soon enough, the screen turned back on, a box having popped up.

She could feel her heart pounding in her ears as her eyes settled on the three, green words on the screen.

_St-Jovite, Quebec, Canada._

The message was clear and she understood it immediately.

Shakily, she got to her feet. As she walked out of the office, down a flight of stairs, and down an elevator, she tried to pull herself together. Her hands shook, her heart raced madly inside her chest and her knees felt as though they were on the verge of collapsing under her.

She had long stopped hoping for that day. The weeks following Michael's departure, she had clung to the hope that he would contact her, even daring to hope he had changed his mind and wanted to come back to her. Weeks had gone by and Michael had remained silent. With each passing weeks, Nikita's hope faded until she had given up altogether. It had been years since she had dared to hope that he would get in touch with her again.

Then she had met Dave Lanark, ex-operative for Section Two down in Australia. After saving his life, Lanark had decided he needed to repay her.

"Ask me anything you want, I will do it." He had told her a year ago.

Immediately, she had thought of him.

"I need you to look for someone." She had told him.

He had promised her he would do anything in his power to fulfill her wish. Today, he had lived up to his promise.

Her heart still raced madly as she passed by Matthew, coming in with two other men Nikita recognized as being Stuart and Mark, two of her best operatives. She nodded politely at them before turning another corner and disappearing down a different corridor.

She needed to prepare. There were a lot of things to plan out before she left, the sooner the better. She didn't think want to wait too long. Too many things could happen if she waited before setting out for Canada, which could postpone her trip. And she didn't want it postpone. She had waited long enough.

She spotted Walter coming into his warehouse as she went around the corner.

"Hey Walter." She said, smiling, as she approached him.

"Hey Sugar."

Nikita examined his face. She couldn't remember the last time she had truly examined his features. He seemed to have aged immensely in the last six years. He had never told her his age but she guessed that he was most likely in his seventies, if not mid-seventies. She wondered, as she always did when she crossed path with him and saw his tired eyes and smile, and his wrinkles, just how long he had been at Section.

"What's up?" He asked, looking up from the weapon he had been examining.

Even his voice sounded tired and Nikita almost felt bad for what she was going to say next.

"I need to go out."

Walter's eyes widened, alarmed.

"Why?" He asked in a worried tone.

"I need to go see my kids."

* * *

Even though spending ten years in Section One had taught her not to be afraid of anything, she still felt slightly anxious every time she left 'undercover' to see her children. She always felt as though she would be attacked and captured, the terrorists not fooled by her disguise.

Today was one of those days. As she was driven to Maria's home in a window-tinted car, she couldn't help the feeling of anxiety pulsing through her veins. Every trip in the outside world brought her kids closer to danger, the last time she had visited them a proof of that.

She could still remember the guns outside the small cottage, Erin's screams as she witnessed the death of a man whom, until recently, she had thought had been one of Maria's friends. She could remember vividly grabbing her daughter's hand and pulling to her safety, before holding the shaking body in her arms. As she had rocked the child to sleep, once everything had calmed down around them, she vaguely remembered Adam and wondered if he had felt the same way as her daughter so many years back. She wondered if he was still traumatized, if he still woke up in the middle of the night, screaming. Had Michael sent him to see a therapist? Had he taken care of him so well that the child had simply forgotten what had happened six years ago?

Maria hadn't mentioned anything in her messages since that fateful day. She hadn't said anything about Erin being troubled by what had happened or about Jacob acting weirdly. Maybe they were after all okay.

The car turned into a quiet neighborhood. Nikita had always loved the place, away from the downtown area, where crime was at its lowest and where the families seemed to be living in a time period long forgotten by the rest of the world. Trees still casted shadows on the ground here, protecting from the sun on hot summer days. Kids still rode their bikes in these streets, still left them lifeless in the driveway once they had gotten bored of them. Here, children were tanned from their time spent in the sun and not white as ghosts like those who spent more time in front of the TV than sleeping.

The car drove through the neighborhood until they reached a less fancy part of it. Small houses stood in rows, their square lands equal, grass green and one tree in the front yard. From the corner, Nikita could see the little sky blue house where Maria and her children lived. She felt her heart swell at the thought of holding her babies in her arms again, after being separated for three months.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, the car pulled in the tiny driveway. Nikita looked up to see a curtain move from the living room window. Maria had been waiting for her.

Stepping into the warm sun, Nikita took a deep breath. Three months confined underground had taken its toll on her. She felt as though she had been there for years, instead of just a couple of months.

She walked up the stone path leading to the front door. As she climbed the steps, she almost thought she could hear the surveillance cameras zooming in on her. She looked up to find a lens staring right back at her. She forced herself not to shudder.

Just as she was about to ring, the front door opened, revealing a tall, Spanish woman. Her long black hair cascaded down her back, her brown eyes were dark and fiery and her smile, warm and contagious. Nikita smiled back at her.

Maria stepped aside to let her friend in. Then, Glancing briefly at the driver in the car, she closed the door.

"Are the children here?" Nikita asked, realizing how quiet the house seemed.

"They are playing outside." Maria replied, her voice thick with a Spanish accent. "Can I offer you something to drink? Water?"

Nikita declined.

"Actually, I'm not staying long. I just need to talk to you about something."

Just then, the backdoor opened and footsteps were heard on the other side of the house. Nikita listened as the footsteps grew louder and nearer and a brown head appeared down the hallway.

"¡María¿Podría tener un vaso de agua?"

Erin stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes settling on the tall woman standing beside her caretaker.

Nikita smiled brightly at her daughter.

"Hey, Baby!"

Erin gaped at her mother before turning on her heels and running back to where she had emerged.

"¡Jacob¡Mamá está aquí!"

Nikita didn't need any translation for this statement. Mama is here. She felt the heart-swelling sensation once again. She turned to Maria to see her staring at her, beaming.

"She's happy to see you, I think." Maria said.

Nikita nodded.

Seconds later, more footsteps could be heard rushing to the front door.

* * *

"So you wanted to talk to me, Nikita?" Maria said, sitting down on the couch, after the children had run back outside.

"Yes."

Taking a deep breath, she continued.

"Dave Lanark contacted me."

Maria nodded, her expression serious. She knew of Michael, Nikita having told her everything she had needed to know, and understood perfectly well the gravity of the situation.

"When?"

"This morning."

"And?"

Nikita got to her feet and walked to the window giving to the backyard. The twins were busy playing with two other children, another boy and girl, Nikita deduced were probably the next-door neighbors. The girl, as blond as herself, looked up and their eyes met. Nikita smiled at her. The girl smiled shyly back before going back to her game.

"Apparently, he lives in Canada."

Even with her back turned, Nikita could picture Maria forcing herself not to smile. After all, she ought to have been happy at the thought of seeing Michael once again but the happiness could have felt had been washed away by an inexplicable fear before she even had the chance to feel it.

"That's great." Maria replied, trying her best to remain serious.

"Yeah I guess."

"What's wrong?" Maria asked.

"Michael doesn't know about them."

"It'll be the perfect opportunity for him to meet them."

"But what if...?"

"He is not happy?" Maria asked, finishing the sentence for her.

Nikita turned around and nodded, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I'm sure he will be. The way you described him to me, I really think he will be happy to meet his children. He will feel blessed. Who wouldn't feel blessed to know these kids? I know I am to have the chance to raise them."

Nikita forced a smile before turning back to the window. Erin was now chasing the other young boy, a bit taller than who she thought was probably his sister, but with hair as blond as hers.

"There's something else, isn't there?"

Nikita, who had been lost in her thoughts for the past minute, jumped, visibly startled.

"Sorry." Maria said. "I didn't mean to startle you."

Nikita shook her head, dismissively.

"You are thinking about that day three months ago."

The mother nodded.

"And you think that it's going to happen again?"

"How is she? Is she okay? Is she still scared?"

"I don't think so." Maria replied, honestly. "I won't lie to you. The few days after the attack, she was still a bit shook up. She refused to sleep alone so I let her sleep with Jacob. But Jacob became scared when his sister told him what she had seen at the cottage and the both of them slept in my bed with me for about a week. Then everything went back to normal."

"So she's fine?"

Maria nodded.

"But how can she be?"

The Spanish woman shrugged.

"She is strong."

Just like her father. Nikita thought.

"Maybe she has more of Michael in her than I thought."

Maria didn't say anything.

"You'll be able to have a few days off." Nikita announced, tearing her gaze from the children outside. "Consider it as a vacation."

"I will gladly take them. Maybe I'll visit my parents in Spain. I haven't seen them since Christmas."

Nikita remembered, with a pang, how she hadn't seen her children the previous Christmas. Again, she had been confined to Section One after a mysterious illness had spread throughout Section. Jacob and Erin had gone to Spain with their caretaker, coming back two weeks later all tanned and a bright smile on their face.

"How will you break the news to them?" Maria then asked. "Are you going to tell them they are about to meet their father?"

Nikita sighed. She hadn't thought of that. She had been so caught thinking about how to break the news to Michael that she had forgotten that it would be a real shock to the twins as well.

"I don't know." Nikita admitted. "I'll think things through."

Then, glancing at the clock in the living room, she added:

"I really need to go back." She announced. "I'll just go outside and say goodbye."

Maria nodded.

The woman watched as Nikita slid the door to the backyard and stepped onto the deck. Then, from the window, she saw the twins stop dead in their tracks and run towards their mother. Nikita hugged them both, kissing the top of their heads, inhaling the smell of them, closing her eyes. Maria felt pity towards her. Being apart from her children was obviously tearing her apart. She just hope, as she left the window, that Michael would love them as much as Nikita loved them.


	2. Chapter 2: Counting the Hours

**A/N: I'm glad you are liking the story so far. Hope you like the second chapter as well! I've been watching a lot of fanvids to get myself in the mood to write about Nikita and Michael and I have to say I'm loving it!**

* * *

She only left Section when she had to. In fact, she hated leaving for a long period of time. Her occasional visits to her children weren't that much trouble. She didn't need to find a replacement, someone she trusted who would cover her whereabouts and take over Section while she was away, nor protection, nor a private plane. She didn't need to make up a fake alibi in case someone, out to get her, questioned the person in charge of replacing her. But, more importantly, when she visited her children, she didn't have that sick sensation in the pit of her stomach, like a sea storm, waves crashing against the walls of her stomach, her breakfast like a rock inside of her. She didn't need to worry about the fact that, in less than twelve hours, she would be standing in front of the man she loved and hadn't seen or spoken to in years.

Whenever she thought of it in the two weeks that had passed since the message from Lanark, the nauseating sensation started up. That same nauseating feeling she experienced as she climbed aboard the plane that would fly them over the Atlantic to Canada.

The twins skipped happily around her, talking in rapid Spanish, words she didn't understand. Once or twice, she thought she caught the word "Papa" and only then would she know they were talking about Michael. Each time the word reached her ears, she became more scared.

It wasn't like he was expecting them. She hadn't tried to contact him before she left and so didn't know about the twins. Every time she thought of the possibility that he might have found someone else to share his life with – her heart broke at the thought – the urge to turn around and go back home would immediately rise. For her children, so excited to finally meet their father, she fought hard against it. She couldn't bare to disappoint them and to disappoint herself.

The plane was small but there was plenty of room for the little family and their bodyguards. When luggage had been stuffed away in the compartment and that seat belts had been put on, the pilot spoke in the microphone, telling them they were ready for take-off. Reaching over Jacob, Nikita checked Erin's seat belt to make sure the child had clipped it properly before doing the same with her son.

"Mama, how long is it going to take to go to Canada?" Jacob asked, Nikita detecting a tiny hint of Spanish accent.

"About nine hours, Sweetheart."

"How long is that?" Erin immediately asked.

"What are the cartoons you like?"

"Oh we like loads. Maria lets us watch TV every morning. Erin likes Dora."

"Okay." Nikita replied, having no idea what they were talking about. "Then consider the flight as eighteen Doras in a row."

Erin's eyes grew wide while Jacob cried in protest that he didn't like Dora and that it meant the flight was going to be boring and long.

In a matter of minutes, the airport had disappeared from sight and the plane was flying through a mist of clouds.

After treating an Erin's ear ache and that the children had settled down, Nikita let herself relax. Leaning her head back against her seat, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Erin's pain had taken her mind off their destination. Her stomach seemed to have won the fight against her breakfast and she could almost say she felt relaxed. Before she knew it, her body was awarded the sleep it had been claiming for a while.

It was the urgent pulling on her sleeve that brought Nikita back to consciousness. She opened her eyes, half-expecting to find herself in some kind of danger, to find her son's grey eyes staring right back at her.

"Come on, Mama. The movie is starting. Watch the movie with us."

Nikita nodded sleepily and yawned. Her mind was cloudy with sleep.

Looking through the window, she could distinguish the ocean below them. How long had she slept? Grabbing the headphones, she put them on and began watching the movie.

As the animation started, Nikita found her eyes drifting away from the orange clown-fish on the screen to the water beneath them. From where they were, she could barely distinguish the waves caused by the heavy current. Her mind flew back to a few years ago, on an island lost somewhere on the Atlantic. They had spent a few days there until lack of food had pulled them back towards a firmer ground. Three days where they had done nothing more than eat, sleep, walk, swim, make love, eat, sleep, walk... Basically, simply enjoying each other's company while trying to forget that Section was probably looking for them, that their blissful escape could abruptly come to an end. Nights spent by a roaring fire as Michael read to her, her mind barely registering the words he spoke in his hush voice, too busy enjoying the moment of freedom.

Then her thoughts would shift to a few days later when, while on their way to get some groceries, they had been arrested by agents and brought back to Section, to the prison the organization had become. Kept separated by only a window, in two distinct rooms, close yet far away from one another, they had counted the hours left together. Standing face-to-face, she had tried to touch him through the glass. The pain of seeing him but of not being able to touch him, to feel him against her, of remembering how the last couple of days had been pure bliss, had been incredible. Just as it was today to think about it.

Beside her, the twins were laughing hysterically, unaware that their mother was currently holding back some tears, threatening dangerously to fall.

Their relationship had been based on separation and forbidden desires. Moments in the day when they could steal seconds of affection and intimacy were rare and very difficult to find. Under the careful eyes of Operations and Madeline, there weren't many places where they could talk privately.

"Mama, you're not watching the movie."

Nikita turned to her son who was looking disapprovingly at her.

"I'm listening to it." Nikita lied, pointing to her headphones.

"Yeah but you're not watching it." Jacob said, frowning.

Sighing quietly, Nikita turned her gaze to the screen until she saw, from the corner of her eye, that Jacob had done the same.

She had never seen that movie before – why should she have? – but, from the twins' behavior, she could tell that they had seen it many times before, most likely in Spanish since they didn't seem to know the script in English.

She had agreed to let Maria raise her children in her native tongue. After all, English was difficult for the Spanish woman to speak and who was Nikita to deny her the right to talk to them in Spanish? She was raising her children. She was just thankful that the twins could speak both languages fluently.

Did Michael speak two languages as well? She often wondered. She had heard him speak french a few times but was he fluent in it?

It was then she realized she didn't know a lot about him. She had told him once that, to the outside world, they were all dead, but she wondered today if he had any family still alive, other than his son. Was that why he had chosen St-Jovite? Did he have family there?

The children laughed loudly, startling Nikita out of her reverie. She turned to her son, then to her daughter. The resemblance to Michael was startling: the brown hair, the grayish-blue eyes, their personality. Everything was Michael.

She felt her stomach tighten and she diverted her gaze from her children and stared out the small window to the ocean below. The storm seemed to be fierce, just like the one that seemed to be raging once more in her body.

"At least six more hours to go." Nikita thought to herself.

* * *

Nikita jumped, startled, as the wheels of the plane hit the tarmac below. Her eyes wide opened, her heart raced rapidly in her chest. She looked out the window to see the surroundings becoming clearer as the plane slowed. Trees were lined up on one side of the tiny airport where they had gotten permission to land. Green lands stretched on and on. 

"Nikita?"

She looked up to find John, one of men in charge of her protection during her stay in Canada, standing beside their seats, looking down at her.

"Yes, John?"

"The children fell asleep a little over an hour ago. I think you should wake them up."

Nikita nodded before yawning and stretching her arms in front of her. She had fallen asleep after the movie had ended and hadn't even noticed that the twins had left their seats to go play in the back of the plane with their bodyguards.

Getting to her feet, she walked to the seats where the twins had fallen asleep sitting, Erin's head resting on her brother's shoulder and Jacob holding his younger-by-five-minutes sister in a protective manner. Nikita smiled at the sight of her children, her heart throbbing painfully with love for her children.

"We need to get off soon, Nikita."

The woman nodded.

"Yeah. Right."

Crouching down, she gently shook her son's shoulder.

"Jacob, Honey, it's time to wake up."

The child muttered something incomprehensible before falling back asleep.

"Jacob, Erin, we're here. Wake up."

This time, she shook him harder. The twins opened their eyes and looked questioningly at their mother, disoriented.

"We're here." Nikita said, smiling, as she pushed some hair out of Jacob's forehead.

"We're here»?" Erin asked, confused.

"Yeah."

A smile slowly stretched on Erin's face.

"Daddy." She whispered before closing her eyes and going back to sleep.

Nikita stood up.

"It might be two o'clock here but it's nine o'clock at home." John said, chuckling softly.

Nikita agreed.

"I'll grab Erin." The man said.

Nikita untangled Jacob from his sister and picked him up, quickly followed by John. The three adults marched down the aisle and stepped out into the warm air. The sun was shining brightly, making them all squint in pain, no clouds were in the sky and the weather was warm.

Nikita could feel the soft breeze against her skin and shivered despite the hotness of the afternoon. In less than two hours, she would be standing at the door of Michael's house. In less than two hours, she would be able to hold him, to kiss him, and to tell him that she missed him. The twins would finally meet their father and, for two weeks, they would be able to form a family. Anyway, that was what she was hoping. She hoped that, during those two weeks, they would finally be able to leave their dream. If not for the rest of their lives, then at least they'd be able to catch a glimpse of it.

Erin had fallen back asleep and from the way Jacob clutched lifelessly at her, Nikita could tell he had done the same thing. Kissing the top of his head, she followed John, with Mark behind her, to the airport where their luggage would be brought.

* * *

**The reunion is coming. Be patient!**


	3. Chapter 3: The Road to Him

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who is reviewing this story. I'm glad you're enjoying it, I know I'm having a lot of fun writing it. It is my first LFN fanfic and now I'm wondering why I have never written in this fandom before. I'm glad some of you are still reading LFN fics even though the show stopped airing so many years ago. Anyway, enough said. On with the chapter and sorry if it's so short.**

* * *

Sleep had claimed once again Erin and Jacob. Nikita, her head resting against the cool window, watched as the scenery flew past them. Trees boarded both sides of the Transcanadian highway, providing privacy to what looked to Nikita like farms. The sun had taken its late-afternoon shine but the sky was still cloudless. If Nikita had believed in signs, she would have taken the perfect weather as a good omen. Unfortunately, she didn't believe in much now.

She had lost so much in the last decade that she wondered how she had survived it all. Not only had she lost her life, her outside world identity, she had lost the only man she had truly loved, the one who had, without knowing, given her two beautiful children from whom she was kept apart most of the year. She couldn't blame fate too much. After all, she had decided to follow in her father's footsteps. She had agreed to carry on for him, to do what he thought she had been born to do.

She shivered as she thought of Michael's face as it dawned on him, as she took the silver chain from her father, that she had chosen a life in Section over him. She wondered if he knew how hard it had been for her to do so, how, as she looked down from Operations loft to the operatives below, she wondered if she had made the right decision. She had spent many nights going over her decision, trying to figure out why she had made it, trying desperately to find an answer to her questions. Many nights spent wondering where Michael was, what he was doing, wondering if he had found another woman, one with a _normal_ life, to share his with. She thought of Adam, tried to picture him in school, picture him with his father, living the normal life a child should live. During the nine months in hiding, she had thought of finding him, of taking that opportunity to disappear and take off to him, leaving Section behind, raising their twins together. She hadn't, of course. She had given her word to her father to carry on and she would. She had.

There would be so many things that would need to be talked about. She wasn't sure if Michael would be up for it, but there were things she wanted him to know. For his sake. For their sake.

She looked over at the twins, still asleep, and smiled.

"Only ten more minutes."

Nikita jumped, startled.

Her eyes met those of her driver who looked curiously at her in his rear-view mirror. She forced a smile as she nodded.

Ten more minutes.

* * *

Through the window, she could see the welcoming sign to the village of St-Jovite. Around her, people busied themselves with their last-minute shopping. Nikita reached into her pocket and took out the small piece of paper containing Michael's address.

According to Lanark, her former lover had chosen the peaceful life of a home outside the village. As she read the address over and over again for the hundredth time since she had gotten hold of it, she instantly recognized Michael in his decision. They had never spoken about it but Nikita had always sensed a "nature" vibe coming from him. She was happy to know that she had been correct.

They zoomed through the small downtown area. She had to admit, the village was beautiful. She had read up on the place before leaving for Canada a few days earlier but nothing, not even the pictures she had seen, could top off what she had imagined. The village was even more beautiful than she had imagined and words from a conversation almost ten years ago sprung to her mind.

"_I used to dream that there were places like this somewhere. Safe, warm. Do you ever think of anything like that?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Is it anything like this?"_

"_A little maybe... you're there."_

She closed her eyes, reliving the memory with the same intensity as last time. St-Jovite was probably what he had had in mind that night, with one exception: she wasn't there.

_Ten more minutes._ She thought.

* * *

Her heart pounded as the car turned into the driveway. The gravel crunched under the tires and shadows were casted upon them as they drove under large pine trees. The air smelled of the forest and Nikita took a deep breath. It had been so long since she had been able to smell fresh air like this one, one of nature.

Soon enough, the line of trees thinned and a house came into view. Her eyes opened wide as the sight of the house sunk in. Nikita was surprised at the size of the log home, at the beauty of it, the late afternoon sun shining against the lumber. Large windows gave to the second floor hallway, a chandelier pending from the ceiling. Plants decorated the front porch and a small garden had been set up along the stoned path leading to the front door.

A movement on her right told her the twins had woken up. She turned to find Jacob staring up at her, his eyes still thick with sleep.

"Are we there yet?" He asked, sleepily.

Nikita smiled, hoping it looked genuine.

"We're here."

A smile lit up her son's face. She watched as his eyes went from her to the big house in front of them.

"Wow! Erin!" Jacob cried, shaking her sister. "¡Mira¡Erin, mira a la casa!"

Look at the house. Nikita deduced this was what her son had said.

Erin slowly opened her eyes and stared confusedly at her surroundings until it seemed to dawn on her where they were. She sat up in her seat, instantly awake.

"Daddy lives here?"

"Yes." Nikita replied.

Unclipping her seatbelt, she turned to her children.

"Listen, kids. I'll go in first. You just stay right here and I'll come get you in a little bit, okay?"

"Why?" Jacob replied.

"Because there are things Mommy needs to say to Daddy before you can see him."

The twins nodded, obviously disappointed not to see their father right away.

Nikita opened the door and, after giving her driver some instructions, got out of the car. Her legs shook as she slowly walked up the stoned path to the front porch. Everything around her was silent, even the wind had stopped blowing, as if nature was now on stand-by, waiting expectantly for the reunion, holding their breath, hoping everything would go well.

Slowly, she brought her hand to the doorbell and rang. Seconds later, a dog's bark could be heard from inside the house.

* * *

Throwing his backpack beside the closet in the entrance, Adam patted his dog's head before going straight for the refridgerator in the kitchen, his stomach crying loudly for some food. He hadn't eaten anything since lunch and the bus ride had taken longer because of a tree crashing and blocking the main road. Now, the only thing he could think of, was getting something to eat. Giving the fridge a quick-scan, he spotted some left-over dinner from the previous night, stored in plastic containers.

Taking them out, he took off the lids and stuck two of the containers in the microwave. He was setting the timer when he heard a sound coming from the opened dining room window. Gravel cracking in the driveway. Someone was coming.

The young boy frowned. His father was already home from work and they weren't expecting company. Julie had already stopped by for the day and left for her parents' house in the afternoon. Had she forgotten something here?

Adam listened for a car door slamming but heard nothing. He could still hear the motor running. A minute passed, then two. The microwave beeped, announcing that it was done warming his snack. But Adam didn't move.

Finally, he heard a car door open then shut. It was only a matter of seconds before the front door bell rang.

_Definetely not Julie._ Adam thought. She never rang the doorbell. She had her own key. She walked in whenever.

A voice from the basement reached his ears.

"Adam, can you get that?"

Leaving his snack in the microwave, Adam slowly made his way to the front door where Nikki was already barking like mad.

Through the compact window, he could barely distinguish a hazy form. Shooing the dog, he grabbed the handle and opened the door.

"_Take him as far away from here as possible. Help him forget."_

Memories of that late afternoon so many years ago flashed before his eyes as they fell onto the tall, blonde woman at the door. His throat felt dry and he could feel his hands moisten. He knew how this unannounced visitor would affect his father. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

"DAD?!"


	4. Chapter 4: Reunion

**A/N: Well, this chapter is to say thanks to everyone who's reading this story, reviewing and liking this story. This is the chapter you've been waiting for since the beginning. I hope you like it and you don't find it too OOC.**

* * *

Each hit was like putting a nail through his heart. Each sound reminded him of a time where his heart beat harder and louder in his ears at the sight of her. Each nail was like the thousands of them who had pierced his already broken heart back then.

Things hadn't changed. He still thought of her, held on to the day where he would be able to see her again, to hold her against him, to feel her heart beat against his own.

He wondered what she was doing now. If he closed his eyes, he could picture her standing in Operations loft, her careful eyes looking down at the operatives below, hands behind her back. He could see her pacing back and forth behind the table as she explained the new mission to the operatives on standby. He saw her sitting on a stool in munitions, talking to Walter, who had probably aged a lot since the last time he had seen him.

Michale sighed. Life outside Section wasn't what he had expected. As much as he had hated working there, there had been a sense of security in knowing that Adam was taken care of, that he was working towards a greater good. There had been a lot of down side: deaths of fellow operatives, being kept apart from Nikita, always having to be treated, as Nikita would say, like animals. Still. Other than fighting against terrorists, there had been nothing else to fight about. He didn't need to work for the apartment he lived in since it had been provided by Section. He hadn't needed to work in order to buy food or to send Adam to sports' camp like he had done this summer.

The first months had been the most difficult. Anxiety had been at its highest as Michael feared, every time he went to bed, to see operatives barging inside his home and taking him into custody. Then, slowly, he had learned to relax.

He hadn't been able to go back to his son and wife. Elena had thought him dead and how would he have been able to explain to her that the company he supposedly worked for had been behind the staged murder. Even when Elena had died, he had been unable to get his son out of the foster care system. To the world, Michael Samuelle was dead.

Everything had turned out for the best. Well, almost everything. He had gotten his son back but had been sacrificed for a life in Section by the woman he loved the most in the entire world. All the times he had betrayed her, used her under Operations' order, he had explained and persuaded himself that he had had no choice. But as he watched Nikita take the silver chain from her father's hand, he understood instantly how she must have felt all those times. His heart had broken into what had felt like a million pieces and it had taken all his might not to knock the chain out her hand and shake some sense into her.

As always, he had trusted her and supported her in her decision. He had told her, at the train station, that he'd go to her when Adam wouldn't need him anymore. He was planning on keeping his word.

"DAD?!"

Michael's hand froze in mid-air. His whole body tensed, suddenly on guard. At the sound of the doorbell ringing, he had immediately thought of Julie. Adam probably had locked the door and Julie had forgotten her keys. But something in his son's cry told him that it was probably not Julie. Above his head, Nikki was still barking. She wouldn't have been were Julie at the door.

Setting his hammer back on his workshop table, Michael wiped his hands on his pants as he left the small room. The basement was dark and cold, and Michael shivered. His son's cry still echoed in his ears.

_DAD?!_

The stairs creaked under his feet as he climbed them one by one. He wondered who could be at the door. From the staircase, he could hear two voices. The words were muffled by a few walls but Michael could swear it wasn't French the two people were speaking. Who did they know, in St-Jovite, who spoke English?

After meeting Julie, French had become their second language. He had sent Adam to a french school, spoke french at home when Julie was around, but always reverted back to his first language when she wasn't. What he was hearing at the moment was definitely not their adopted tongue.

"Nikki, enough." Michael heard his son say as he walked down the hallway to the dining room.

Stopping at the window, still out of sight from both his son and the visitor, Michael looked out. A grey car was parked in the driveway and Michael could distinguish three heads.

"Sorry." He heard Adam say to the visitor. "She usually doesn't bark that much."

"It's alright."

Michael's heart stopped and his blood seemed to freeze in his veins. The Australian accent was undeniable. Even after all these years, he'd be able to pick up and recognize that voice in a crowd.

"Nikki, _enough_!"

Just as he had thought, the dog fell silent. Numbly, Michael stepped around the corner.

"Nikki, _enough_!"

Even after all these years, she would have picked up and recognized that voice in a crowd. Her heart skipped a beat and time seemed to have stood still as she waited for him to come into view. She was barely aware of the cocker spaniel's sudden silence or as Adam retreated further in the entrance until he disappeared completely to give his father and her a bit of privacy. His demanding tone echoed in her ears. That same tone, which had gotten the dog to stop barking, that had so often ordered her around so many years ago. After everything that had happened since then, she felt almost foolish for the way she had despised him for using it on her. If only she had known how happy she would have been to hear it, she wouldn't have acted that way.

She watched in mild apprehension as he stepped around the corner, his eyes desperately seeking hers for reassurance that she was really there. Her heart beat faster and louder in her chest.

He walked desperately slow. Or was it only her desire of having him near her that caused her to be impatient? She wondered if he thought that, if he walked quicker, she'd disappear just like a mirage on a road on a hot summer afternoon; always just out of reach, yet there, in front of your eyes.

She examined him as he came near her. He hadn't changed much. His hair was still short, his eyes still stormy grey and his arms still looked strong. Nikita felt her knees weaken. Those strong arms who had held her so many arms, comforted her by she was crying, picking her up when she was injured. The feeling of them wrapped around her provided her with security and warmness.

Their eyes locked and Nikita didn't break contact until he was standing mere inches from her. It was almost too great to bare, the sensation of having him near her, feeling the heat emanating from his body. She jumped, startled, as his hand brushed against hers. Tears had formed in his tears and his hand shook as he brought it to her face, gently caressing her cheek with his knuckles.

Nikita was pretty sure her heart would beat out of her chest. It pounded almost painfully against her ribcage and the skin where Michael had just touched her felt on fire. Even as his hand moved upwards on her face, she could still feel his touch burning on her cheek. Tears formed in her own eyes until her surroundings became completely blurry and indistinguishable. Michael's gentle caresses soothed her, calmed her worries, and washed away her pain. She closed her eyes, feeling herself becoming overwhelmed by the sensations, melting into the contact. A tear fell from her eye and she felt Michael wipe it tenderly.

She wasn't sure how long they stood there, Michael caressing her face tenderly like he had done six years ago, touching every inch of it, tracing the contour of her eyebrows. Her eyes were still closed as she felt his warm breath on her lips and knew he was only a hair's breath away.

As his lips tentatively touched hers, Nikita half-expected to wake up in her room in Section, to see the greyness of the walls, the coldness of the room, and a sinking feeling in her stomach telling her that what had just happened had been nothing more than a dream, a figment of her imagination.

But his lips were as soft as she remembered them to be and she knew it was not a dream. His kiss was firm, as though really trying to believe that she was really there, and when they pulled away and Nikita worked up enough courage to open her eyes, she saw in his grey orbs all the pent-up love and the intensity of the pain of all the years gone by.

She brought up her own hand and cupped the side of his face, her thumb gently caressing his lips.

"Michael."

A whisper was all she could manage after all these emotions.

Something poked at Nikita's leg and the woman looked down to find the little dog staring up at her expectantly, ears raised, tail wagging furiously. Nikita couldn't help but smile.

"Well, well. Look who's just changed its mind about me." Nikita said, cheerfully, as she crouched down to pet the dog.

She scratched the pet behind the ears and Nikki turned her head sideways and gave Nikita's hand a small lick.

"She'll love you eternally if you rub her belly." Adam said, poking his head from around the corner.

Nikita looked up at him and smiled.

The boy was taller than he had been the last time she had seen him and his eyes didn't have the sadness that had been present that day. Even though she recognized Michael's frame in him, Adam was all Elena: dark hair, dark eyes, darker than usual skin.

"Adam, you remember Nikita?"

"Of course." The young boy replied. "She was at the train station when we left. I remember."

Michael nodded.

Nikita looked up at him and smiled tenderly at him.

"Cocker spaniel?"

Michael shrugged, as though embarrassed by his decision so many years ago, at a time when he thought his dreams had shattered for ever.

"Come with me." Nikita continued as she stood up. "There are people I want you to meet. You too, Adam."

Father and son followed the blond woman out of the house, into the late-afternoon sun. Michael watched as Nikita turned around and told them to wait there, then as she walked up to the car and spoke to the man in the front seat.

She spoke to the man for a few seconds before turning her attention to what Michael deduced were the two other people in the backseat. He watched as she straightened and opened the car door.

From where he stood, Michael couldn't see much else. Nikita was blocking the view of whoever was coming out of the back seat. But as she turned around, holding two little hands in her own, Michael's stomach did a somersault.

He took one tentative step towards them but froze. His eyes never left her face, searching her eyes for an answer to his question.

"This," Nikita said, standing behind the little boy, "is Jacob."

Then, reaching for the little girl, she added:

"And this is Erin."

Michael couldn't move, yet along speak. His eyes shifted from his former girlfriend to the two children who looked so much like him. He didn't need to say anything more, the resemblance was too obvious for him to question it. A fresh batch of tears formed in his eyes as he felt his heart swell painfully in fatherly love.

"Come on, kids. Go hug your father." Nikita said as she pushed her children forward.

As the children broke into a run towards their newly-found father, Michael crouched down and gathered them up in his arms. His body was wrecked in sobs as he held them close. They felt so small and fragile against him and Michael felt his love for them grow even more. If only he had known...

Tears slid freely from his eyes as he hugged them tightly, running his hand through their hair. Seeking his son's forehead, he kissed him lovingly before resting his cheek against his head.

"Why are you crying, Daddy?" He heard little Erin ask on the other side.

Michael tightened his grasp in reply and continued to sob as he kissed his daughter on the top of her head, breathing her in as though to prove that he was really holding her.

Nikita watched the moving scene with tears of own sliding freely down her face.

Adam, still standing on the porch, stared in shock at the scene going on before his eyes.


	5. Chapter 5: These Past Six Years

**A/N: Sorry I've taken so long to update but, in addition to being really busy, I have lacked inspiration for this chapter. I had finished it when I realized that it was really short and that you all deserved a longer chapter. I'm not quite satisfied about the end but there's always next chapter. ;-) Happy reading!**

* * *

"They're asleep."

The sound of her voice wasn't enough to make him turn around. He stared out the window, to the world outside, where the sun had already set behind the pine trees, plunging the backyard in an eery semi-darkness where shadows of animals roamed. He heard her make her way to him, the floor creaking under her careful steps, but he still didn't look away. He felt her arms circle his waist, pressing her body flush against his back. His eyes were still glued to the scenery outside.

"Why didn't you tell me about them?"

His tone wasn't accusatory but he felt her stiffen against him and felt her warm breath tickle his ear as she sighed.

"I don't know."

The entire evening had been kind of surreal. After introducing the twins to their older brother, the family had gone back inside. Michael put on his apron and had cooked his kids and former girlfriend a very nice dinner. They had eaten all together while Adam had told them all about their lives in the past six years and his achievments, while the twins had stared, wide-eyed, back and forth between their father and their brother. Nikita and Michael beamed, their joy obvious on their face, and had sat quietly at both ends of the table, exchanging looks every now and then, sometimes only breaking eye contact when one of the children summoned their attention.

The excitement had lasted until they had cleared the table, an hour later. The sun was casting its pinkish rays and exhaustion had finally caught up with the twins. Nikita had been forced to put them straight to bed.

"We'll put them in Adam's room for tonight. We'll figure something out tomorrow." Michael had said, ignoring his son's loud groan at having to sleep on the couch in the living room.

Michael had picked up his daughter and had carried to Adam's bedroom, Nikita behind him, Jacob in her arms.

After setting his daughter in the double bed, Michael had walked out of the room, giving the mother and children some privacy.

"I'm happy Mommy." Erin had whispered sleepily as Nikita tucked them in. "We got to see Daddy."

"Was he happy to see us Mommy?" Jacob had added who was trying desperately to stay awake to hear his mother's answer.

"Of course he was, Sweetheart." Nikita had replied, her eyes filling with water.

She had run her hand through her son's hair.

"Then why was he crying when he was hugging us?"

"That's because he was really happy. Sometimes, people cry when they're happy and their tears are called tears of happiness."

The twins had yawned simultaneously.

"Now, it's time to sleep. Good night, guys."

"Good night."

After giving each a kiss on their forehead, Nikita had walked out of the room, leaving the door ajar so a tiny ray of light could enter the bedroom.

"I wanted to. I just... I didn't know how. I didn't know where you were. I was afraid of your reaction. I was scared you were going to react badly. Besides, you had Adam to think about. He needed you."

"But you needed me too."

Nikita sighed.

_I still do._ She thought.

"I made it through just fine."

Michael nodded and Nikita went on.

"I stayed in Section for a few months until my condition began to show." Nikita explained as she walked to the bed and sat down. "They hid me down in South Africa for the last months of the pregnancy, where I looked over Section by computer and satellite. There was this agent, Matthew, who was put in charge by Center during my 'maternity' leave, as symbolic authority. Every decision applied by him was first examined and made by me."

Nikita paused and looked up at Michael to find him still looking through the window. She wondered what he was thinking about, if he was even listening to her or if he was too lost in thoughts to hear what she was saying.

Outside, the backyard had become even darker. Their eyes met in the reflection on the window.

"I had the babies down at the hideout. I had a midwife with me so at least I wasn't alone. As soon as the babies were out, I knew I needed to make a decision: either I kept the twins and raised them in Section, or I gave them up. As much as I knew I couldn't keep them in Section, I just couldn't give them away."

"What did you do?"

He felt almost foolish for asking since he had a feeling he already knew the answer.

"Section is not a safe place for children. There was only one thing I _could_ do. While I was gone, Center ordered the abduction of a woman in Spain. Her name is María. She was twenty-six years old when they took her from her apartment in Barcelona."

"Why her? Why that woman?"

"Apparently, her father owed Center for something that happened before María was even born. When they found out she worked in a nursery, they decided that it was time for Mr. Velasquez to pay back his debt so they abducted his daughter. As you can see, Michael, not much has changed since you left."

Michael remained quiet.

"Anyway, they brought her to Section around the same time as I did. They handed her the twins, told her an adoption story to memorize in case anybody asked questions, made her sign two different kinds of adoption papers – one of them is in file in Section – and sent her off to the other side of the city with the babies."

Tears welled up in her eyes.

"I thought I was going to die from the pain."

Michael's head twitched in her direction, his protective instincts kicking in.

"I loved them so much. The first time I held them and stared into their eyes, I just felt like my heart was going to explode. It's such a powerful feeling. I... I felt like I was losing a huge part of myself. Watching María leaving with them was... I thought my heart was going to break from the pain. It... _hurt_. It was like losing us all over again."

"But they're here with you."

Nikita wiped the tears from her eyes and pulled herself together.

"Yes but it's exceptional. It's the first time I have them both to myself for more than two days straight. I barely see them, Michael. Maybe four or five times throughout the year, two days during the summer with María. I miss their birthdays, Halloween, Christmas. I missed their first words, their first steps. I wasn't even the first word they spoke. They learned to say María before they said Mommy. It's a miracle they still remember who I am."

"It must mean you're a good mother when you're with them."

Nikita chuckled bitterly.

"Must be."

Michael turned from the window and stared down at her. In his eyes, she saw all the love and compassion he felt towards her and, instantly, the weight of the pain on her chest began to melt. For the first time in years, she felt as through she wasn't alone anymore, that she didn't have to carry all alone the burden of living her life knowing her children were growing up away from her. She knew he understood her. She had seen him with his son, so many years ago, when she had first found out about his secret family. She had witnessed his devastation after faking his death, missing his son until nearly-complete madness. She thought she had understood his pain back then but it was nothing how she felt today.

Their gaze locked and the room around them melted away. They were barely aware of Adam roaming around on the first floor, probably searching for something to snack on. All that mattered was them, them reunited at last, and it didn't matter if it was only for two weeks.

Then, unexpectedly, taking Nikita completely by surprise, something formed on Michael's lips. A smile slowly stretched, illuminating his features.

"What?" Nikita asked, unsure of what his sudden change in mood meant.

Michael continued to smile.

"_What?_"

Nikita found herself chuckling softly.

"We're all here together."

Nikita's smile faltered.

"Only for two weeks."

"It doesn't matter. Let's just make the best of it."

Slowly, he reached out his hand for her. Nikita stared into his eyes, suddenly scared of what was going to happen next. She came aware of the effect his closeness was beginning to have on her. He had always given her body this bizarre reaction, jolts of fear and anticipation going down her spine. Before, their passion had meant trouble, had been something forbidden. She had had a reason to be scared of him. Today, away from Section, rules, and regulations, it was completely different. They were free to be themselves. And it was beginning to scare her.

Just as slowly, she reached for his hand, rough skin against soft. He pulled her up and closer to him, until they were face-to-face, the tip of their nose almost touching. He brought up his hand and pushed her short hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear.

"I missed you."

Nikita closed her eyes, letting the words sink in, savouring their meaning. She felt his lips against her forehead, where he pressed two quick kisses.

"You should get some sleep, you must be exhausted."

A smile twitched on Nikita's lips as she thought of another time when Michael had spoken these exact words. The only different was that, tonight, she wouldn't need relaxation.

The thought of a good night's sleep triggered something in her mind. Suddenly, she felt exhaustion claim her body and every muscle began to ache.

She opened her eyes to find Michael staring at her.

"Maybe I should go to bed."

"Okay."

"Can you... can you lay down with me until I fall asleep?" She asked, sheepishly.

Michael simply smiled.

"Of course."

Minutes later, Nikita was climbing into bed, Michael beside her. Snuggling up against him, she rested her head on his chest, listening to the sound of his heartbeat. The gentle running of Michael's hand in her hair soothed her and, soon, her breath steadied as she fell asleep.


End file.
